Dear Dude

I have had the luck and opportunity to travel more than many of the people with which I grew up. One of the things I enjoy is learning about the place I am about to visit, so I can watch for "insider" things, visit the places most people don't think of, and just enjoy acquiring a little knowledge and then applying it. However, I have consistently been disappointed in how different the places look than in their pictures. I love Jamaica, and I'll write about it at another time, but overall I found it to have a disappointing appearance off of the beach, not at all like the pictures. London, England was also a bit of a letdown as far as appearance. Some pats of it are beautiful and historic, but overall it has a jumbled feel, with modernistic, and ugly, building mixed in and out of place with the older buildings. What I am saying is, overall, the pictures I see of places are usually much better than the actual appearance. With one exception, Oahu, Hawaii. It is actually just as beautiful, if not more so, than the pictures demonstrate. From the time you see Hawaii it is gorgeous. Honolulu is overcrowded and a city, but no matter where you are you can get a glimpse of the mountains or the sea and it feels like Hawaii. Even walking through the back streets toward Chinatown you can occasionally glimpse the water and catch a whiff of the orchids being used to make leis in the back street shops. Leaving Honolulu on the Kam (the Kamehameha Highway) you also get a chance to view terrific scenery, and when you are passing through the red dirt, pineapple fields and crest the last hill before dropping down toward the North Shore you are astounded by the immensity of the blue Pacific that unfolds in front of you. I'll leave the description of the North Shore for another day, but the northernmost resort on Oahu is at Turtle Bay, just up the road from Kahuku. You know you're getting close because you start seeing the golf course on your left well before you get there. On the right you will see a few small stands where Hawaiian families sell fruit. (Be sure and stop to pick up some of the freshly picked bananas for snacks in your room.) ,br> Turtle Bay was a Hilton property at one time, but has undergone several ownership changes. It is the resort where the majority of the movie "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" was filmed as well as part of The Big Bounce, which was just wrapping up as we made a trip there. It is impossible to describe how beautiful the resort itself actually is. If you are a golfer (which I am not) it is a dream, but to someone with a deep connection to the ocean (which I am) it is paradise. The hotel sits on a broad peninsula, with Turtle Bay located to its west. From the time you enter the lobby, with it's floor to ceiling glass allowing an unobstructed view of the Pacific, you know you are in a special place. All interior parts of the hotel are nice, no worse than you would expect from a former Hilton property, but not a lot better either. The restaurant is good, although a tad overpriced for lunch and dinner. The Hawaiian version of French Toast, with Macadamia Nuts and coconut flavored syrup is a great buy for breakfast though. The hotel isn't meant to be enjoyed from the inside though. The rooms themselves have balconies that open onto the pool area, which overlooks the bay, or the ocean. A TIP: A little care must be paid or you stand a chance of having a palm tree obstructing your view. The pool is large, with a separate pool and water slide for the kids and the young at heart. There are a lot of chaise lounges available so no need to stress about getting the perfect seat. They're all perfect. To me, the best part of the resort is the outdoor bar, located in a palapa at the end of the pool. It has tables and chairs inside and in the areas overlooking Turtle Bay. Although my idea of a cocktail is confined to ice in the Bourbon or a Martini, I have to admit the Mai Tais here are great and you don't feel terribly girlie drinking them. They also have a drink called a Ko'olau Colada (named after the mountains across from the hotel) which adds Macadamia Nut liqueur to a standard Pina Colada. Very tasty. However the best part of the resort is sitting in a chair overlooking the bay and watching the Sea Turtles feeding. The water is clear, so the turtles are clearly visible even before the rise to the surface to look back at you. One of my fondest moments is sitting there, the trade winds blowing, sipping a Mai Tais and watching the turtles. If you're lucky, you will get to see a rain storm heading your way, the clouds and rain cresting the Ko'olau mountains and dropping down the face of them, washing the resort in the best smelling rain you can imagine. Sitting in the rain is a joy, although remember to keep your hand over your drink. More later… Things To Do on Oahu Surf the North Shore. Haleiwa is great for beginners. Ask at Surf n Sea in Haleiwa. Eat fresh fruit from a roadside stand. Visit the shrimp trucks in Kahuku to the east. Go to Chinatown in Honolulu. Swim with the sharks (in a shark cage). Visit Senator Fong's Plantation Gardens. Sip a Mai Tai and watch the Sea Turtles. Quietly. Be a traveler, not a tourist. Things I Should Have Done (and will next time!) Gone to the Big Island of Hawaii and see the volcanoes Gone to the Garden Island, Kauai Visited the Kualoa Ranch on Oahu Gone to a luau at Lahaina on Maui Scuba Diving off of Oahu

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 at 9:55 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.